


Baby How You Feelin'?

by normalfault



Series: more's not a crowd [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Barista Akaashi Keiji, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Frat Boy Bokuto, M/M, OT4, Panic Attacks, Shenanigans, TA Kuroo Tetsurou, Why Did I Write This?, of course there are i wrote it, smut mentioned but not vivid, this is a meme
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27928705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/normalfault/pseuds/normalfault
Summary: Oh god. Oh god. How could this have gotten any worse?! This couldn’t be happening. Tsukishima pinches his skin, just to make sure this isn’t a prolonged nightmare. “Hello class, this is your teacher’s assistant, Kuroo Tetsurou. He’s a wonderful teacher, and passed this course with flying colors. Anything else to say Kuroo?”“Can’t wait to spend the next few months with you all,” he says, grin spreading wide. It somehow gets bigger when Tsukki horrifingly makes eye contact with him. “It sure will be fun!”--Tsukki accidentally spends a night with someone who ends up being his Chemistry TA - little does he know, good things come in threes.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Tsukishima Kei, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou/Tsukishima Kei, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Terushima Yuuji/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Series: more's not a crowd [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839094
Comments: 120
Kudos: 413





	1. tired of the bullshit

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back babey! I have no idea how long I'm gonna make it, but the idea was too funny to pass up. Welcome to BAKT part whatever part this is! Enjoy the ride, I hope you have a ball. 
> 
> This is mostly gonna be crack and fluff, maybe some light self-deprecation later (I mean it's Tsukki guys), but I love me some shenanigans.
> 
> Also, as to keep with all my titles, this one is based off the one and only Lizzo's 'Good as Hell'

Tsukishima did not like chemistry, and he did not like his introductory chemistry lab. His first day of classes made him very aware that his degree had requirements that he did not enjoy. His advisor had told him that, scoffing that they dare make students in the geology department branch out, and Kei really did agree with him. He liked it in his building, with his fellow geology students, learning about rocks and dinosaurs and fossils. He did not like the empty glances of the STEM majors outside, their overcompetitiveness that triggered his defensive lash-outs. He would prefer not to deal with that - he wanted to never leave the comfort of his space, academically that is.

Except _his chemistry class_. He was gonna punch someone. His lab partner, another freshman boy, a member of the football team, could care less about science and wanted to play with the bunsen burner for the whole period. Tsukishima knew this man was twice his size but he really wanted to launch him out of the room. The Professor spent too long introducing himself and his scientific qualifications, like any of the first years really cared, explaining that their TA would be there on Wednesday. He apparently had a job interview on the first day of class, which made Tsukki hold in his scoff. Of course, his TA was an over-achiever. Tsukishima hated his chemistry class, and he would hate it until he was done. 

Yamaguchi was lucky - his childhood-best-friend-turned-college-roommate was a psychology major. They didn’t have to take chemistry yet, and the chemistry was much more relevant to what he was learning anyway. Tsukishima scowled when he went back to his dorm room, throwing his backpack on the ground and flopping onto his too-small bed. Their room smelled like whatever candle Tadashi had been burning moments before, something vanilla-y sweet with a hint of lavender. Yet again, Tsukki wondered idly what he brought to the table. Besides a few posters, the rest of their room was decorated with Yamaguchi’s stuff. Yamaguchi made all their friends and invited him along to hang out with them. Yamaguchi got invited to parties and brought Tsukki with. It was a common trend, and Tsukishima was simply too used to it to bother changing it. He sometimes let his brain wander into what would happen when Tadashi eventually got bored of Tsukki’s bratty attitude and inability to socialize. 

“Tsukki! I’m back from class! My intro class was so boring, but let me tell you, this guy in my one class was so hot and he had a tongue piercing. He said he was in a frat, but like...I don’t know. He seemed kind of cool?” Yamaguchi threw his backpack down and peeked up at Tsukki’s bed. “Did you have fun today?”

“Not really,” Tsukki answered. “My chem class is the worst.”

“Aw, I’m sure you’ll be good at it though!” Yamaguchi walked back to his desk. “Do you wanna go out tonight? I heard that during the syllabus week everyone parties all the time because we have less work, and Terushima invited me to his frat’s party. He said I could bring a friend.”

“I don’t wanna third wheel you,” Tsukki grumbled into his pillow. “I finished my homework really early though.” 

“So, more reasons for you to come with me!” Yamaguchi insisted. “C’mon Kei! Please, at least drop me off. I’m scared to go to a frat by myself.” Yamaguchi pouted. “I’ll buy you strawberry shortcake from your favorite cafe? Maybe you’ll even meet someone to hook up with! It’ll be super duper fun!” 

“Tadashi-” Kei started to say. He couldn’t tell Yamaguchi no though, and once he looked over, he knew he was done for. “Fine. Fine! Whatever. I’ll go until you tell me I can leave.” Tadashi cheers, jumping out of his chair to look through Tsukki’s closet for an outfit. 

“I want us to look like...gay so that they don’t think we’re trying to encroach on their territory, you know?” Yamaguchi starts rattling off. “Like, I don’t want to get bullied but-”

“Tadashi, _stop_ ,” Tsukki rubs at his eyes, realizing that his time to lie down was over. “You look fine in whatever you wear. Just tell that guy to meet us at the door or something.”

“Oh! Right,” Yamaguchi agreed, moving over so that Tsukki could look in his closet. “You dress like a grandpa, I need to look hot Kei.”

“I do not _dress like a grandpa_ , you’re a jerk, it’s dark academia aesthetic…” Tsukki rolled his eyes, flush dusting his cheeks. “Stop looking at me! I like oversized sweaters, they’re comfortable! Whatever just…” Tsukki scowls, “Here, put these jeans on, they make your thighs look nice.” 

“Oh, yeah that’s true. Do you think he likes big thighs? All that volleyball made mine huge…” Yamaguchi hums thoughtfully. “I hope he likes thighs.”

“Tadashi, if he doesn’t just...don’t see him again,” Tsukki rolled his eyes. “I think you should wear a short-sleeved button-up or something, or a t-shirt...this one makes your arms look nice.” Tsukki throws the shirt at Yamaguchi who makes a noise of disapproval. “This one brings out your eyes.” Tsukki throws a different one, and Yamaguchi considers it. 

“This one’s good, thanks Kei,” Yamaguchi smiles. “How are _you_ gonna dress?”

  
“I dunno-”

“Please let me dress you!” Yamaguchi begs. “Please! No old man looks, we’re trying to pick up guys Tsukki, not get a job offer in a morgue!” Tsukki grumbles a response looking away. “I’m taking that as a yes!” Yamaguchi picks out tight black jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. It’s not his real style, but he lets Yamaguchi have fun anyway. He won’t drink that much and leave early anyway.

\---

Tsukki does not follow any of those rules. He gets there with Yamaguchi, as planned, plays nice with his little frat boy (who Tsukki thinks he despises), watches Yamaguchi slink off with him, and is about to leave. Tsukki gets caught up talking to a girl in his mandatory writing course about some stupid part of the syllabus. She’s nice enough, and Tsukki doesn’t mind entertaining her while the party rages on behind them. She offers him a drink, and despite himself, he takes it. They drink together more and more, and the next thing he knows, they’re leaning on each other. Her name is Yukie and she’s also a freshman, drunk Tsukki thinks they should be best friends. “Hey...hey Tsukki, do you wanna hook up?” Yukie asks him. 

“I’m gay,” he tells her, slurred voice. “Is that ok?”

“Of course it’s ok!” She tells him, gasping dramatically. “Like...all my friends are gay.” She pats his arm. “Oh wait, this one right here! Look, I’ll call him over.” Yukie calls over someone tall (taller than Tsukki, which is impressive) with dark hair and dark eyes and _wow, he’s really hot._ “Hiii Kuroo! This is my friend, Tsukki! He’s in my freshman year writing course.” She laughs when he leans in to whisper something in her ear, and Tsukki wonders if they’re a thing. No no...Yukie said he was gay, right? 

“What’re you taking?” Tsukki asks, voice loud to overpower the music. He doesn’t like to yell, but he’s so much more social than he normally is. He also likes to know which courses people are in - he thinks you learn a lot that way.

“You to my room, if you’ll let me,” Kuroo grins, and it’s so lame but Tsukki cannot help but find it endearing. He’s cute, definitely nerdy. 

“And why should I?” Tsukki raises an eyebrow, leaning forward. 

“Because you’re hot, and I’m feeling lucky,” Kuroo runs a thumb over Tsukki’s cheek, cupping his face in his hand with a predatory look. “And Yukie says she thinks I might be your type.” Speaking of Yukie, she had disappeared somewhere across the floor. 

“Maybe you are,” Tsukki’s gaze falls on Kuroo’s bottom lip, watching it extend into a smile as Kuroo pulls Tsukki onto his lap. Tsukki stumbles, still drunk, long legs wrapping around Kuroo’s hips, arms draped around Kuroo’s shoulders. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Kuroo laughs, and the sound of it is ugly in an adorable way. He has really nice cheekbones and a soft rosy flush over them so Tsukki presses a soft kiss to appreciate their exact shade of pink. “Hey, that was way too cute to happen right now in a musty frat basement. Let me take you to my room?” 

“Hmm,” Tsukki hums, contemplating it. “You live in the frat house?” Tsukki frowned, hooking up with someone in the same fraternity as Yamaguchi’s new boy toy was a little concerning to him. 

“Nah, my friend does though! And he offered me his room while he was out,” Kuroo winked at him. “I’m not a frat boy, baby. But we can roleplay if you’d like?” 

“Maybe another time,” Tsukki leaned his head against Kuroo’s shoulder, voice sarcastic. “Your room it is. Your friend’s room? The room.” Kuroo laughed, standing up suddenly and wrapping an arm around Tsukki’s waist so he didn’t tumble backwards. “Better be good.”

“Oh baby, I’ll rock your world,” Kuroo winked, looking back at him as he led him up a confusing amount of stairs. When he opens the door, he hears the sound of dramatic female moans and retching in the bathroom toilet. Tsukki winces, grateful when he gets into the bedroom, and almost immediately falls onto the bed, letting Kuroo place both hands on either side of his face and connect their lips. He tastes like some kind of fruity drink. “Hey wait, are you drunk?”

“...yes?” Tsukki asks, cocking his head to the side. “Is that...is that ok?” 

“Yeah! Well...no...can’t rock your world in the way I wanted to that is. But...I don’t have an issue with you being drunk in general!” Kuroo stammers out, flopping down on the bed next to him. “Sorry to disappoint you blondie, but that just means we’ll have to meet again, yeah?” 

“...so to clarify, we’re not fucking?” Tsukki clears his throat, feeling awkward but almost a little grateful. 

“Correct, you’re a lot drunker than me. That’s not cool, you know?” Kuroo looks at him to make sure his point is clear and Tsukki nods, rubbing at his eyes. He was tired now that he was away from the party, and whoever’s bed this was is very comfortable. “Hopefully you still like me when you’re not wasted, though.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Tsukki grumbles, “You’re like a 9 and I’m a 3 or a 4. Can I sleep in this bed?”

“You think I’m a _9_?” Kuroo chokes out. “Wow, I’m touched.”

“Bed?” Tsukki asks again. “Sleep?” 

“Yeah but unlock your phone for me so I can put my number in, and also tell me your name,” Kuroo laughs sheepishly. “Please?”

“Mm,” Tsukki agrees, hitting the numbers and handing it to Kuroo without thinking. “My name’s Tsukishima Kei.”

“Tsukki!” Kuroo immediately grins again, looking down at him. “Oh, before you knock out, change out of those clothes. I’ll find some of Bo’s you can wear for the night. Here!” Kuroo throws a large t-shirt at him and Tsukki hums a thank you, taking off his long sleeve and throwing on the soft fabric. He strips down to his boxers and climbs under the covers. “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou by the way.”

“Good to know,” Tsukki grumbles. Kuroo climbs in next to him, and that’s the last thing he remembers. 

\---

When he wakes up, his head aches, and his mouth is too dry to be normal. Tsukki groans, sits up, and lets the shirt he’s put on fall off his shoulder and show his collarbone. There’s a person next to him, and Tsukki’s face turns red. He doesn’t _remember_ hooking up with anyone besides making out with someone named Kuroo (was that who was still in bed?), but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. He rubs at his eyes, looking around blearily for his glasses and his phone. It looked like whoever he was with plugged it in when he fell asleep. The person shifts and lifts his head up, squinting at Tsukki and then smiling obnoxiously. 

“Good morning, Blondie. Sleep well?” It’s coming back to Tsukki, now. They had gone up to...god this wasn’t even Kuroo’s room! They were in someone-who-Tsukki-did-not-know’s room, and Tsukki had fucking _come onto this random man,_ and he had been denied. Then Kuroo put him to bed like some kind of child. Yamaguchi was going to die for making Tsukki come with him. 

“Uh,” Tsukki cleared his throat, turning away to hide the fact that his face was bright red. “I’m very sorry for-”

“Don’t apologize!” Kuroo quickly corrects. “You’re hot. We got to make out. We got to cuddle. It was a great night for me, personally. I even got your number!” Kuroo grins and Tsukki wishes it had been anyone but this man. He was being _so nice_. In Kei’s past hook-up experience, the man had left early and hadn’t bothered to consider any sort of aftercare. They had gotten what they wanted and left. In this case, Kuroo didn’t even get anything and had still stayed to take care of Kei’s drunk ass. “You sleep adorably, has anyone ever told you that?” 

“This might be the most embarrassing moment of my life,” Tsukki ignores him. He searches for his jeans frantically, throwing them on and grabbing his shirt. “I need to go shower. And make sure my friend is ok. And regret this moment for the rest of my life. Please take care.” Tsukki rushed out of the door, ignoring a ‘wait!’ from Kuroo (who definitely wanted Tsukki to leave and was just teasing him) and the yawning man in the hallway who stared at him while he rushed out of the house and to his dorm room. 

Yamaguchi was already there, thank god, sporting many hickies and a loopy grin. “Tsukki! I had a great night! I really like Yuuji, he’s super sweet and great at-where did you come from? Is that your shirt?” Yamaguchi grabs a water bottle from their supply. 

“I have no idea whose shirt this is. I fell asleep in bed with some guy I made out with named Kuroo…” Tsukki trailed off, putting his head in his hands. “Then, he started making fun of me because I was _embarrassing_ last night. Tadashi, I’m never going out with you again.”

“Awww, Tsukki! It sounds like you had fun! Everyone gets messy sometimes,” Yamaguchi assured him. “Let’s grab food, alright? I can’t _wait_ to tell you about my night!” 

\---

True to his word, Yamaguchi did treat Tsukki to a strawberry shortcake at the cafe they frequented. Tsukki changed into more comfortable clothes after his shower, following Yamaguchi tiredly. “And he has a tongue piercing! It feels _so good_ Tsukki. Like...so good.” 

“I get it, Tadashi, please stop talking,” Tsukki groaned, begging his day to turn around. “Was he nice?”

“He was a bit of an asshole, in like a funny way. He got sweet when we were away from people, though.” Yamaguchi sits down at their usual booth after they order, putting his backpack down on the bench next to him. Tsukki hummed appreciatively, checking his phone notifications. 

**Kuroo:** Heyyyy baby. Hope you got back ok! ;)

**Kuroo:** sorry if I made you uncomfy or whatever 

Tsukki winced, hoping for this stupid fucking teasing to _stop_ so he could resume his normal activities of not talking to anyone in his room. “Yuuji said their frat president was really cool and gay too! I’m surprised so many LGBT people are in this fraternity...is that normal?” Yamaguchi frowned, seeming to think about it while Tsukki contemplated if he should delete Kuroo’s number or not. “Oh! Our food is ready, I’ll go grab it!” Yamaguchi scooted out of his chair and bound over to the counter. The barista was a shorter, college-aged boy. Tsukki hadn’t really looked at him, too busy contemplating his disaster of a life to really observe his surroundings, but he was beautiful. Short, straight black hair and piercing blue eyes - his lips were so pink, they looked soft - way out of Kei’s league, that’s for sure. The customer who was ordering was loud, with bleached tips (what an odd dye job, it suits him, doesn’t it?) and big gestures. He made a joke and the barista rolled his eyes but smiled.

“I’ll see you tonight babe!” The man ordering said loudly, voice carrying all the way over to where Tsukki was sitting. The barista nodded, letting him press a quick kiss to his lips. Ah, so they were _both_ taken. Tsukki grumbled something under his breath, there were too many attractive people at his college. At this rate, he was not going to survive it. 

**Kuroo:** oh also, you forgot to give me Bokuto’s shirt back. Trying to see me again or something? 

Ah, shit. The shirt that was sitting in the corner of Tsukki’s room. Tsukki frowned, about to send a text back. “Bokuto! You took the wrong order,” The barista muttered, rolling his eyes. Oh _fuck_. Why was Tsukki’s luck so bad today? Tsukki slid down further into his seat, hoping Kuroo didn’t describe him to his friend. That would be so terrible if Bokuto knew that Tsukki was the one who crashed in his room after a party. Yamaguchi returns, frowning at his posture. 

“That’s the president of Yuuji’s frat!” Yamaguchi tells him, taking a bite of his own cake. 

“Of _course_ he is,” Tsukki whines, burying his head in his hands. “Of fucking course. I fell asleep in his bed last night, Tadashi. I have that man’s shirt.” 

“Hah! That’s so funny, oh god,” Yamaguchi snickers, covering his mouth while he chewed. “Teru says he’s really nice though.” Tsukki let out a pitiful laugh, wishing he had done literally anything else last night. “C’mon Kei! It could be worse! He didn’t take advantage of you, I’d say you scored a good one!” 

“I’m never drinking again.” Tsukki took a bite out of his shortcake more aggressively than he should’ve. 

\---

Pulling up to his chemistry class the next day made Tsukishima miserable, but in a normal way, which was much appreciated. He had been so busy being mortified about Kuroo and his hook up, he totally forgot to be annoyed about his schedule. Today was his lab section, which meant the class was a full three hours longer than normal. Tsukki grumbled as he sat down next to his stupid, lab partner. “Hey bro, did you do the homework?” He asked Tsukishima hopefully. Tsukki nodded his head, raising an eyebrow. “It was so hard! I tried for hours. I’m not even a chem major! My name’s Lev!” 

“Tsukishima,” Tsukki introduced. “I’m not a chemistry major either.” He doesn’t really want to continue the conversation, but if they’ll be partners the whole semester, they need to somewhat get along. 

“It’s the worst, right? That we have to take something stupid like chemistry! I’m a biology major, but-” Lev is cut-off when the professor walks in, trailed by the TA. 

Oh god. Oh _god._ How could this have gotten any worse?! This couldn’t be happening. Tsukishima pinches his skin, just to make sure this isn’t a prolonged nightmare. “Hello class, this is your teacher’s assistant, Kuroo Tetsurou. He’s a wonderful teacher and passed this course with flying colors. Anything else to say Kuroo?”

“Can’t wait to spend the next few months with you all,” he says, grin spreading wide. It somehow gets bigger when Tsukki horrifyingly makes eye contact with him. “It sure will be fun!” 


	2. go on dust your shoulders off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello friends! this update came fast because I simply cannot stop writing it! i love bakt very much and the shenanigans are simply too fun to resist.
> 
> some of my own headcanons get included in this: one, I'm a geology major and I have a fossil collection so. Had to do that. two: Yamaguchi is a badass bitch! i do not take criticism on that. thank u for coming to my ted talk

“No way,” Lev exclaims. “I know Kuroo from high school! Isn’t that crazy?” Tsukki nods weakly, burying his head in his hands and banging it against the table in frustration. “He’s funny! And smart! Do you think he’ll help us out-”

“I need to go to the bathroom!” Tsukishima exclaims, ignoring Lev's question and sitting up, making his way towards the door.  _ Do not follow me, don’t do it, please don’t do it _ \- Tsukki sighed in relief when he escaped the classroom without a pesky guest who had an unnaturally attractive bedhead. He locked himself in a stall and called Yamaguchi frantically. 

“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asks, chewing on what must be lunch. “Aren’t you in class?” Tsukki groaned at that, of course Yamaguchi had his schedule memorized already.

“Tadashi, he’s my fucking TA!” Tsukki hisses into the phone. He sits down on the toilet after putting the seat down, running a hand through his hair.

“What? Who?” Tadashi was definitely rolling his eyes. “You’re so dramatic, Tsukki! It can’t be that bad-”

“Kuroo. Kuroo is my TA.” Tsukki could cry, he really could. There’s a silence on the other end. A stifling of laughter. 

“Oh my  _ god _ ! You’re like...destined to know each other, Kei!” Yamaguchi insists. “This is great!”

“It’s not great! Are you kidding me? He tucked me  _ in _ , Tadashi! I think I should switch sections-” The door to the bathroom opens, and he hears humming. “I have to go, but this conversation isn’t over!” 

“Yeah, yeah! Have fun in class, Tsukki! Hey, maybe you can do a teacher-student roleplay-” Tsukki hangs up, scowling into his phone. He exits the stall, taking a deep breath and looking at himself in the mirror. This could be worse - he could've...thrown up on Kuroo’s dick or something. Tsukki groaned, muttering about how stupid his life was. 

“Are you ok?” Tsukishima looks up, startled at the sudden voice. It’s the pretty barista from the coffee shop. Just his luck. 

“Fine,” Tsukki cleared his throat, trying to smile but failing miserably. “Thank you for your concern.” 

“Did I see you at the cafe yesterday?” He asks. His voice is so smooth, Kei wants to drown in it. He takes a deep breath, nodding. “Well, if you want a discount next time you’re there, let me know.” The boy smiles at him - Tsukki feels like he’s some kind of prey being stalked. Why do these people keep finding him?! Why is his luck so bad? Tsukishima leaves the bathroom with a huff, walking back to Lev and plopping down at his seat. 

“Hey, Tsukishima?” Lev whispers while the Professor continues to talk. “I took some notes for you! Our lab today is looking at stuff through a microscope or something. It’s in the manual.” Tsukki nods, willing himself to ignore the piercing gaze of their TA. It was one class. He would just...not talk to Kuroo unless absolutely necessary. 

Tsukki and Lev got to work on their lab, and while Lev was kind of an idiot, he was very curious and excitable. Was it annoying? Yes. Did Tsukki begrudgingly find him alright? Maybe. Tsukki didn’t mind working with him as much as he thought he would. He did all of the bunsen burner work while Tsukki took notes and observations, it was a fairly productive partnership. They finished quickly, without much interference from anyone else in the class. Of course, Lev had to call Kuroo over to ask a clarifying question, while Tsukki pretended to be very interested in peering into his microscope. Lev finishes his question and stops paying attention, Tsukki breathes a sigh of relief, assuming Kuroo went to go do his job somewhere else - until he feels someone leaning over him. 

“What’re you looking at, Tsukki?” Kuroo grins, Tsukki can feel it because he’s practically pressed against Tsukki’s side. “Mm, your focus on the lens is off.” Kuroo’s right arm loops around Kei’s side and turns the knob on the side of the machine. “Much better, right?” He whispers in Kei’s ear. His face lights up red quickly and he sputters out a thank you.  _ How is nobody seeing this?! _ He wonders frantically, clearing this throat. “I hope chemistry lab is the only thing you finish fast-” 

“O-kay!” Tsukki squeaks out, pushing his chair back. “Wow, you have been  _ so _ helpful, but I really have to get to my other class! Thank you so much!”  _ He was not turned on. He was not turned on. He was not turned on. _ Tsukki started putting his things in his backpack frantically, ignoring Lev’s confused look, and Kuroo’s soft snicker. 

“Do you two know each other already?” Lev asks, following Tsukki’s lead and packing up. 

“Yes-” Kuroo says at the same time Tsukki says “Barely!” Lev stares at them both, cocking his head to the side and leaving it be. 

“Right!” He manages to say, as he and Tsukki walk out of the classroom together. Tsukishima is fuming, storming down the hall and throwing the door to the building wide open. “Uh...Tsukki?”

“Do  _ not _ call me that!” Tsukki hisses back, turning around to scowl at Lev.

“But Kuroo-”

“I am very well aware of what he called me,” Tsukishima takes a deep breath, this was not Lev's fault. “He’s an idiot.”

“Well...he’s our TA...so he’s probably actually pretty smart,” Lev rationalizes. “Hey, Tsukishima?” 

“What!?” He scowls, picking up the pace of his walk to lose Lev behind him. 

“You left your notebook in the lab,” Lev tells him cheerfully. “Oh! It’s my boyfriend! I’ll see you on Friday, Tsukki! Yaku!” Lev runs off after a boy much shorter than him, and Tsukki screams into the sleeve of his sweatshirt. Of course, he left his stupid notebook in the stupid fucking lab. His day was trying to mentally destroy him, it might as well end it on a terrible note. He shoots Yamaguchi a quick text, explaining he’ll be late for their dinner at the Dining Hall, and rushes back to the Chemistry building with a gusto. 

“Stupid TA...stupid notebook…” he grumbles, pulling out his ID to get access to the building. It beeps and he throws the door open. He moves towards the door to the lab with a purpose, steps loud, praying that nobody was in there so he could just grab the notebook and leave with his dignity intact. He opens the lab up with his key, looking up past the doorknob and freezing. “Oh my god.” He says out loud, silenced for once in his life. He had no snarky remark. No sarcastic comment. Just  _ go, go, leave, leave, out of the room- _ Tsukki slammed the door shut, face burning as he practically sprinted out of the building. 

Thankfully, he didn’t see any of the... _ details _ of what was going on in the lab. He was pretty sure all three (three people!) had their clothes on, even though they were making out pretty passionately against one of the walls.  _ How do three people make out at the same time? _ Tsukki shook off that thought and mourned the loss of his notebook. He would get it tomorrow. What made him angry was that his TA...the one who was coming on ridiculously hard to  _ him _ , was seeing two other people. Did he sleep around? Was this some kind of joke? Tsukki scowled, pulling his hood over his head and willing his brain to stop coming up with scenarios. He was no stranger to bullying, he had been harassed plenty of times by people asking him out as a joke or for a dare. It was what happened when you were out and gay at a public high school. 

Maybe Kei liked Kuroo. Maybe he was a little disappointed. Maybe a tear or two leaked out on the way home. He ran straight into his room, ignoring Yamaguchi’s greeting and burying his face into his pillow miserably. “Kei? Are you sad? Is this a dinosaur-plushie-that-you-pretend-you-don’t-own kinda time or a Yamaguchi-sneaks-out-and-kicks-someone-where-the-sun- don’t-shine-for-hurting-your-feelings kinda time?” Tsukki doesn’t answer, willing himself to stop crying into his pillow. “It's time for both, I think. Who hurt you? I’ll kill them. Here, take the stuffed animal, I know you want it.” Tsukki grabs onto it, clutching it against his chest. 

“I thought college would be  _ different _ , Tadashi,” He says miserably. “But...I found Kuroo in the lab...making out with two other guys. I bet he was doing a dare or something, talking to me. ‘Haha, who can get a stupid freshman to get a crush on them so you can make them feel dumb-’”

“He had a  _ crush _ on you bro?” They heard from outside. Both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima’s heads swiveled to the entrance, Tsukki burying his face under the pillow when he realized who it was, hoping to disappear. Were they listening? “Dude...you gotta explain,” the voice insists.

“I think they can probably hear us talking,” Another familiar voice offered. “If it goes wrong, we can still get Bokuto’s shirt back and you can give him his notebook.” Was that the cafe worker? And the frat president?! Oh god. This couldn’t be happening to him. They were all in on it. Someone knocks on the door. 

“Uhhh...Tsukki? Can I explain before you freak out?” Kuroo offers shyly. “I know it probably  _ seems _ bad, but it’s not like that.”

Yamaguchi gets a look on his face, determined and filled with murderous rage. Tsukki picks up his head to say “Don’t do it-” before Tadashi tugs the door open and kicks Kuroo right in the crotch. He yelps, grabbing at himself, screaming out a curse and stumbling back. The other two watch him with mild fascination. “ _ Tadashi! _ ” 

“Oh, you think that’s it, bedhead? Get back here!” Yamaguchi says, voice still cheerful. Tsukki grabs his arm before he can move forward. “I’m not done with you yet. Kei, give me the baseball bat-”

“Yamaguchi, you’re going to get  _ arrested _ ! Stop!” Tsukki hisses. “How are you going to explain jail to your parents?” 

“He probably deserves that, honestly,” the cafe barista says, frowning at Kuroo writhing on the ground. Tsukki looks up at them, trying to put on his mask of disinterest, but it was pretty ineffective considering his eyes were puffy from crying. 

“Were you crying?” Bokuto asks, voice upset. Yamaguchi turns to him and Bokuto yelps, protecting his crotch with both hands. “I didn’t mean it in a mean way! I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me!” 

“Can we come in?” The barista ignores. “Kuroo, get up, you’re making a scene.” 

“Why can’t you hit him?!” Kuroo hisses. “Jesus, that kid can kick!” Yamaguchi crosses his arms, scowl deepening. “Listen, Tsukki, we can explain-”

“Don’t call him that!” Yamaguchi snarls. Tsukki is reminded of holding his dog back on a leash. He sighs, fixes his glasses on his nose, and pats Yamaguchi’s shoulder.

“It’s alright. Let’s hear them out,” Tsukki murmurs, looking away from Yamaguchi’s shocked expression. “Stop, it doesn’t mean anything, I’m just curious.” 

“Fine! You’re lucky Kei thinks you’re hot!” Yamaguchi turns around and walks back into the room with a gusto. 

“What-I didn’t  _ say _ that! What the  _ hell _ , Tadashi?!” Tsukki wants to crawl up into a hole and die there. “Tell them I didn’t say that!” He walks into the room anyway, blushing up to his ears as the three of them follow. 

“I will tell them that if this talk goes poorly,” Yamaguchi insists. 

“You’re not staying for it!” Tsukki’s eyes widen. “Go over to your frat boy’s house!” 

“Oh wait, are you the one dating Teru?” Bokuto interrupts. “No way! That’s crazy! He was telling us all about it, he seemed so excited!”

“He says we’re dating?!” Yamaguchi seemed suddenly very interested. “That’s so cute! Tsukki, did you hear that-”

“Yes! Yes, I heard it,” Tsukki looks at the ceiling, praying for whatever was up there to kill him on sight. It couldn’t be that hard, could it? Yamaguchi smiled, and he’s so happy that Tsukki can’t be grumpy about how terrible this is going. 

“I’m gonna go talk to him! Good luck, call me if you need me!” He gives Kei a quick hug, patting him on the head. “And boys! I carry mace, so be good, alright?” Kuroo gave him a terrified thumbs-up, and Bokuto took a step behind the barista. The door shuts behind him. Tsukki had forgotten to be embarrassed about having seen all three of them make out and be angry about Kuroo leading him on. Now that he remembered, it was time to bring out his best weapon. 

“Now that that’s over with,” Tsukki mutters, “You can explain the little game you’re playing, and go back to being my mediocre TA-” He’s pretty mean when he wants to be. He’s great at ignoring people, digging at their insecurities. He’s quick-witted, fast enough to clap back at whatever's thrown his way. 

“Game?” Bokuto cocks his head to the side, almost like a dog, Tsukki notes. “Mm, we should explain from the beginning! I don’t know what game we’re playing though?”

“I’m not a  _ mediocre _ TA! I’ll have you know, I get great reviews! Plus, you weren’t complaining during class-” Kuroo starts to say before the barista hits him on the back of the head. “Ok, ok sorry!”

“We’re all dating each other,” the barista explains. “Open relationship, on occasion, when we all approve on the person. I saw you at the cafe and looked you up on Instagram. You’re just my type.” 

“Our type!” Kuroo corrects. “I saw you at Bo’s party the day after. Akaashi had said he saw a hot, tall blonde with glasses, and I had a feeling it was you. You fit the description. He said you seemed snarky, and he was right.” Tsukki scoffs at that, rolling his eyes. This seemed like way too much effort, unrealistic. He had a hard time anyone would go through those lengths to hook up with him. “I snapped a quick pic of you talking to Yukie when Bokuto and Akaashi were studying. Akaashi confirmed it was you, and uh...well after we talked I got excited-!”

“He was so lame,” Bokuto snickered, “ _ Guys, he’s so hot. What the fuck! Bo, we’re going to your room. Bo, he looks so good in your shirt- _ ” His voice mimics Kuroo’s, and Tsukki resists the urge to laugh. 

“Shut  _ up,  _ bro!” Kuroo mutters. “That’s my student! He’s not going to respect me, if you-”

“I already didn’t,” Tsukki grumbled. 

“I mean, he is hot,” Bokuto supplies. “I probably would’ve been lame too, babe.” Bokuto pats Kuroo’s back in assurance. “Anyways! Akaashi asked Kuroo to make sure you were sober, but you weren’t. Then you went to bed and well...you know the rest!” Tsukki sat down on his bed, suspicious. Sure, this technically added up. It did seem like all of them were staring at him when he ran into them. 

“Did you know you were my TA?” He asks Kuroo, accusatory. That would be weird! And creepy!

“Nope!” Kuroo pops the p, seating himself on top of Tsukki’s desk. “I had no idea. Hey, is this a fossil? This is so cool!”

“Bro, lemme see-”

“Don’t touch that!” Tsukki exclaims, reaching to try and grab it from Bokuto. If he had a fossil collection, that was between him and the dinosaurs.

“It’s hot when you boss us around,” Kuroo grins, laughing when Tsukki turns to shoot him an expression of murder. “You’re not that scary when I’ve met your friend. Dude, did he play soccer? He kicks like a freight train.” 

“Does it matter?” Tsukki hisses, snatching the fossil out of Bokuto’s hands and placing it gently back on his desk. “You explained. Now get out of my room.”

“Wait-!” Bokuto starts to say. 

“I mean, we all still find you attractive,” Akaashi explains, unphased by the chaos. “And you seem to find us, at the very least, entertaining.” Kuroo nods enthusiastically. “Get to know us.” It’s not a question. It’s a demand, and Tsukki is weak, and Akaashi is pretty (seriously, God has favorites), and he’s  _ overwhelmed _ . 

“...if I say yes, will you get out of my room? And give me my notebook?” Tsukki asks, knowing the battle is lost when Boktuo cheers. Akaashi nods, and the three of them leave after Kuroo puts his notebook down on the desk, talking about nonsense. Tsukki wonders idly if they’re still joking. This could be an elaborate (very elaborate, he admits) prank. He finds it hard to believe one person finds him attractive, but three? He groans, grabbing his dinosaur plushie, and face planting on his bed. He hopes someone takes pity on him soon, this is way more excitement than he signed up for. 

He ends up falling asleep, dozing in his clothes from the day still. When he wakes up, he has a text from a group chat he wasn’t previously a part of. 

**Unknown Number:** Hi Tsukki <3 <3 :D

**Unknown Number:** Bokuto, relax. This is Akaashi Keiji by the way. And Bokuto Koutarou is the number above

**Kuroo Tetsurou:** Bold move to begin with hearts, Bo. Really setting up your expectations.

Tsukki groans, wishing that they had given him some time, but he enters Akaashi and Bokuto’s numbers into his phone. 

**Tsukishima Kei:** This doesn’t mean anything. I just need to make sure Kuroo doesn’t fail me, so I’m being nice.

**Akaashi Keiji:** I have a feeling you’ll change your mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello all, thank you for reading. if you want more of me, you can find me on twitter @normalfault1 where I answer questions and like things and say stupid stuff about headcanons 
> 
> i love comments and kudos!


	3. keep it moving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! some info in case anyone is confused because I realize that college is really a regional, cultural thing and I am very much from the US and go to university there.   
> 1) I am a geology major, so sorry to nerd out   
> 2) a lot of times, you can rent out rooms in libraries for private studying but you have to do it ahead of time and it is genuinely difficult to get there before someone else

Tsukki scowled at his phone, willing the texts to disappear so he wouldn’t have to answer. He still had homework to do, and all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep forever. He forces himself to get up and make his way to the Geology building. It was always open to students, and Kei appreciated the constant access in a mostly quiet space. The library was overwhelming, what with the mixture of caffeine and desperation. He scans himself in, pulling his work out in one of the labs and getting to it. His headphones are plugged in, and he’s able to focus on the textbook he’s meant to be reading for a solid hour or two before someone taps his shoulder. 

He looks behind him, startled. He had been kind of looking forward to a calm end to his evening. “Uh-”

“Listen, I know this has probably been really overwhelming,” Kuroo starts to say, choking on the words falling out of his mouth. He looks sheepish, it's endearing in a sweet way. “Like...college? Ya know! Week one!”

“Did you follow me?!” Kei hissed, staring at the taller boy with wide eyes. That would be kind of creepy...

“What? No! I guessed you’d be here! I figured you were a geology major because you have a rock collection. That’s super cute by the way. Anyways, I felt really bad because you seemed upset that I was trying to like...mess with you! Which I’m not! I like you a lot,” Kuroo clears his throat. He’s holding something behind his back, nervously shifting back and forth on his heels. “It’s still syllabus week, so I figure you have some more time...um-”

“...are you going to hit me with whatever you’re holding?” Tsukki asks, deadpanned. 

“What! No! Ugh,” Kuroo looks up at the ceiling, face heating up. He pulls out a bouquet of flowers from behind him filled with red roses and those white accent flowers, blush so red it could’ve been painful. “Just...let me take you out to dinner?” Tsukki stared at the flowers, mouth wide open. He’s quiet for a few minutes, the clock ticks slowly. “...Tsukki?” 

He starts giggling which turns into full-on laughing, covering his mouth with his hand and nearly doubling over. “Did you...god...did you go  _ buy  _ those when you left my dorm?” 

“I-yes! There’s a grocery store nearby...they were expensive, you know! And TAs don’t get paid that much!” Kuroo thrusts them at him again, and Tsukki laughs harder, moving to bury his face in his hands. Before he can, Kuroo grabs his wrists gently, eyes wide. “You’re...god, you’re  _ beautiful _ . Your laugh, I want to remember that forever. I can buy you more flowers? I’ll buy you anything you want-”

“Stop, you’re embarrassing me!” Tsukki blushes, scoffing, looking away, and taking the flowers. “Kuroo!  _ Stop _ , oh my god, don’t touch me!”

“Dinner?” Kuroo asks again. His grin is obnoxious, and Tsukki wants to say no but goddamn, does this guy grow on you or what? Somehow, he let Kuroo interlace their fingers. “C’mon. We can go to the little Italian place, right by campus?” Tsukki bites his lip, considering it for too long. “I’m not hearing no?”

“You’re not hearing  _ yes _ either,” Tsukki grumbles. “Fine. Whatever.” Tsukki ignores Kuroo’s cheer. “Only because I like Italian food!” 

“Right, not because I woo-ed you with the flowers,” Kuroo quips, cackling at him, tugging him towards the door. “C’mon, c’mon! I wanna go now!” 

“How old are you?” Kei rolls his eyes. “I have work to do!” 

“It’s  _ syllabus _ week! Pleaaase! I’m starved!” Kuroo whines, “I might die here. It’ll be on your hands.” 

“You’re ridiculous,” Kei mutters, closing his notebook. He stands up, pushing his chair back and stretching. Kuroo’s gaze goes south and Tsukki glares at him - he quickly looks at the ceiling, humming innocently. “No alcohol. Just food. One dinner. And I have to drop the flowers off-”

“Aww, bring them with us!” Kuroo pleads. “Gotta stake my claim!” 

“We aren’t dogs,” Tsukki pinches the bridge of his nose, putting his things in his backpack and zipping it. “Alright-”

“Yes!” Kuroo cheers, before Kei can say anything, Kuroo drags him towards the door. “I’m so excited!” Kuroo links their arms and Tsukki rolls his eyes but finds it somewhat endearing. They stop off at Kei’s dorm, where he throws his backpack on the ground and puts the flowers on his desk. He shoots Yamaguchi a quick text before leaving. 

**Tsukishima Kei:** Kuroo is buying my dinner 

**Yamaguchi Tadashi:** Aw! Have fun on your date, Kei! Lemme know if you need backup >:3

**Tsukishima Kei:** It isn’t a date. And that face is terrible.

**Yamaguchi Tadashi:** D,:

Tsukki scoffs, stepping out of his room and meeting Kuroo in the hallway. “Don’t you have stuff to do with your other two...um…”

“Boyfriends?” Kuroo completes. They walk together in silence for a second, Tsukishima mostly following Kuroo. “Nah. Bo’s frat is hosting another party tonight, if we wanna go after dinner we totally could! Akaashi said he was turning in early, which probably means he’s sleeping over in Bokuto’s room though. Akaashi is a great cuddler.” Kuroo talks about them fondly, and it makes Tsukki feel both left out and intrigued. On one hand, this was weird. Three people dating? He wondered if they ever got jealous or needy or something. Well, he guessed it’d be weirder if they didn’t. Kuroo gets a dopey look on his face, leaning into Tsukki’s personal space, causing his neutral expression to sour. “Whatcha thinking about?”

“How it’s possible that someone can be so annoying,” Tsukki deadpans. Kuroo lets out another one of those ugly laughs, draping an arm around Tsukki's shoulders lightly.

“You did good on that last chemistry lab, ya know,” Kuroo starts to say. “I was really impressed! I knew it couldn’t have been Lev, I love the kid, but he’s not exactly book smart. Anyways, that first lab is supposed to scare you away from the class.”

“Mm,” Kei hums in acknowledgment. He had always been pretty good at science in high school, but he wasn’t used to accepting compliments. “I’m sure you’d say that no matter what.”

“What?! No way! You’re really smart! Not as smart as  _ me _ , obviously, but really smart!” Kuroo stares at the pavement, pausing to look up at Tsukki who was hiding his blush in his sweater. “Aw! You’re so cute! You get all flushed when I compliment you!”

“Shut up!” Tsukki hisses, clearing his throat. “You’re impossible.” 

“I’ll compliment you more, so you get used to it!” Kuroo opens the door for Tsukki, who scowls at him but walks in anyways. “How long have you and your aggressive friend known each other?” 

“Yamaguchi? We grew up together,” Kei answers easily, sitting across from Kuroo at one of the booths. “He’s my best friend.”

“My childhood best friend goes here too!” Kuroo exclaims. “He never hangs out with me though. He’s always with his boyfriend. I think his boyfriend is in your year, actually!” Kei hums in acknowledgment, stirring his soda with his straw absentmindedly. “His name is Hinata Shouyou.” Kei freezes, head snapping up at the name. 

“You know  _ Hinata _ ?!” Tsukki hisses. “God, of course, you do.”

“Why? Do you know him? That’s crazy! What’re the odds!” Kuroo grinned, taking a bite of the pizza they ordered to share. 

“We went to high school together,” Tsukki mumbles. “We played volleyball on the same team. He’s insufferably energetic, but I guess he’s alright.” 

“He reminds me of Bo a bit, but less entertaining,” Tsukki snorts at that, imagining someone who could be considered more entertaining than Hinata. “It's crazy that you also used to play volleyball! You should play club volleyball with us!” 

“Absolutely not,” Tsukki answers, nibbling on the end of his slice. “I wasn’t that good. And I hate getting sweaty.” 

“Mm, sounds like an excuse to me. Afraid to lose?” Kuroo sneers at him, and Tsukki gets a view of an unchewed mouthful. “You’ve barely eaten, Tsukki! How are you gonna get better at volleyball?”

“I’m not playing with you,” Tsukki says, stronger this time. “I don’t need to have Hinata being over-competitive with me  _ again _ . It was exhausting. As if I’m competition anyways...are you cutting your pizza with a fork and knife right now?”

“Don’t change the subject! Why do you keep putting yourself down like that?” Kuroo interrupts, continuing to use utensils on pizza. 

“I’m genuinely horrified. I don’t know what kind of freak does that-” Tsukki starts to say. Kuroo smirks, shoving the fork near him. 

“A freak trying to feed you!” Kuroo practically sings. “C’mon! Open your mouth! You need more nutrition!” 

“Gross! You  _ ate  _ with that fork!” Tsukki hisses, trying to shove the pizza away. “Kuroo,  _ stop _ !” 

“Just eat it! I don’t bite!” Kuroo continues, standing up. Kei squeaks as the food presses against his mouth. He holds back a laugh, accepting it and rolling his eyes. “There! Now play volleyball with us!” 

“Nope,” Tsukki says, muffled from the food. “I ate your food. No more of that.” 

“I bet you were good at it and have no self-confidence,” Kuroo teases, watching Tsukki wince. “Oh shit, sorry did I hit a nerve? My bad. I never keep my mouth shut-”

“It’s fine,” Tsukki breathes out. “It’s whatever. But I promise I wasn’t very good at it.” 

\---

They end the date there, as promised. Tsukki heads back to his dorm (escorted by Kuroo, like some kind of 1800s courting ritual) and is met with Yamaguchi at his desk. “How was your date?” Tadashi asks excitedly. “Mine was great! Terushima is super funny, and he told me that I was the hottest person he’d ever seen!” 

“It wasn’t a date,” Tsukki corrects. “But it was fine.” Tsukki starts to change into his shower shoes, throwing a towel over himself and grabbing his toiletries. “I’ll tell you more in a second, I think he got pizza grease on me.”

“Ok, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi agreed easily. Tsukki showered in silence, thinking about his stupid life and how exciting it had gotten in so little time. He didn’t like excitement. He had few close friends (read: one), he didn’t trust easily. He was brutal, and exhausting to get to know. He was just lucky Yamaguchi was persistent. He was lucky anyone had stuck around at all. 

Much to Tsukki’s horror, he could not get a break. In the shower next to him, someone was having loud sex with their significant other. “God _damn it_ , ” Tsukki hissed as he turned the water off and grabbed for his towel again. “This has to be a sick joke at this point.” 

“...Tsukishima?” He heard. “Is that you?” 

“...Hinata?” He choked out. No fucking way, he had heard  _ Hinata _ having sex. Oh god.  _ Not this _ . “Nope. Absolutely not. I can’t handle this.” Tsukki slammed the bathroom door behind him, running to his room and breathing a sigh of relief. A new candle was lit, this one smelling like fall desserts. “Did you know Hinata was on our floor?” he asked weakly, putting on his fuzzy pajama pants and soft t-shirt. 

“No, why? Isn’t that Bokuto’s t-shirt?” Looking down, Tsukishima realized that was exactly what it was. He could scream. 

“I think I might faint,” Tsukki supplied, eyes widening at the shirt on his body. “Hinata and his boyfriend were having sex in the shower next to me,” Tsukki tells Yamaguchi miserably. “He’s dating Kuroo’s childhood friend. Kuroo is dating both Akaashi and Bokuto and they’re all dating each other.”

“Yikes! Sounds like you had a rough day,” Yamaguchi pats his arm comfortingly. “Oh, by the way, I signed us up for club volleyball-” Tsukishima did faint at that, to a resounding “Tsukki!” When he comes too, Yamaguchi is staring at him from above, hovering nervously. “Are you ok?! Are you dehydrated?! Did you eat enough! You have to be eating, Tsukki, oh my god. Drink this juice right now!” 

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” Tsukki groans, sitting up and grabbing at his head. “I just really need to go to sleep.”

“Juice, Kei! Drink it!” Yamaguchi helps him to his bed, tucking him in and handing him the dinosaur plushie he always slept with. “Was it the volleyball?” 

“The...no! It was just...today was a lot!” Tsukki muttered into his pillow. “I don’t want to play volleyball.” 

“Well, that’s non-negotiable. You need to get out and have fun. Please? It’ll be fun! We’ll stick together! You can get to know Teru!” Yamaguchi pouts, leaning his chin on top of Tsukki’s shoulder. 

“God, fine! Fine! Whatever,” Tsukki rolled over, screamed into his mattress, and willed his life to end. Why couldn't he say _no_ to anyone today?

\---

When Kei wakes up the next morning, Yamaguchi is gone. He leaves a cup of coffee on his desk and a ‘went on a run :D’ note next to it. Tsukki stays in bed a little bit longer, dozing for a second before his phone rings. “Hello?” he answers groggily, not bothering to check who it is. 

“Tsukki! You picked up!” Bokuto is on the other line, voice loud and too happy for 9 in the morning. “I was nervous you wouldn’t. Do you want to hang out with me and Akaashi? We’re going to study in the library for a bit and we got a private room! Maybe we can do something else-”

“No Koutarou, we’re studying,” Akaashi interrupts nearby. 

“Oh, Keiji says we’re just working,” Bokuto audibly deflates. “Laaame, but I do have an exam coming up. “They make the business majors take a science class and so I chose geology because I was like ‘how hard could learning about rocks be?’ but it’s really hard, Tsukki! Haha, hard! Like...rocks are hard!” 

“I get it, Bokuto,” Tsukki mutters. “I’m a geology major.”

“Perfect! Can you help?” Bokuto perks up at that. “Tsukki is gonna tutor me, Kaashi!” Akaashi hums his approval. “Meet us at the library in a few! Do you want something from the bakery? I think I remember he likes the strawberry cake…” Bokuto trails off.

“You remember that?” Tsukki asks, a little shocked. He feels his cheeks light up, that was kind of cute. “Wait, I never said I’d-”

“We’ll get you a strawberry tart! Perfect! See ya soon, Tsukki!” Bokuto cheers, hanging up. Why did this keep happening to him? Why couldn’t he say no to anyone…did he actually, maybe, like them? Kei groaned, taking a grateful gulp of his coffee and putting on a pair of jeans and a sweater. He wasn’t going to go. He was going to stay in his dorm and work there. He was  _ not _ going to the stupid study room-

\---

“You came!” Bokuto laughs, “I’m so happy! Kaashi said you wouldn’t!” 

“I said he might not,” Akaashi corrects, setting out his books. “Because you didn’t ask him ahead of time, he might’ve been busy.”

“I could’ve also not wanted to come?” Tsukki offers. He is ignored. Kei pouts, sitting down on the corner of the table. “It’s only because you got a nice room.”

“Kuroo sleeps in on Thursdays,” Bokuto explains. “He doesn’t have classes until 2 today!” Tsukki nods in understanding, looking through his Paleontology textbook for today’s readings. “What’re you working on?” Bokuto asks, poking at Tsukki’s cheek. Kei swats his hand away, scowling. 

“Paleontology,” Tsukki answers. “Fossils.” He translates. 

“Whoa, cool! I’m not good at science, but I’m great at econ if you need help with that! Akaashi is an English major!” Bokuto smiles at Akaashi from further away. “He gets annoyed when we study together cuz I’m too loud.” 

“Mm,” Tsukki understands that. He didn’t mind too much though. Akaashi hadn't talked to Tsukki besides a few words, and he wondered if maybe the pretty barista didn’t actually like him. Maybe he was just entertaining Bokuto and Kuroo? “What do you need help with?”

“Oh! I’m in this introductory class and we were talking about rivers! The braided type! I don’t really get how they’re so different from the meandering rivers.” Bokuto pulls out his notebook, scooting close to Tsukishima. 

“It’s because the braided rivers move faster, the slope of the land is higher up,” Tsukki starts to explain. He takes Bokuto’s notebook and opens to a new page. “The water moves faster so it goes straight. Braided rivers move the sand and rocks differently.”

“Yeah! The bars, right?” Bokuto nods in understanding. Tsukishima continues his explanation, finding that what Bokuto lacked in learning speed, he made up for in patience. He was an attentive listener and wasn’t afraid to ask questions for Tsukki to further his explanations. When Tsukki looked up for a second to think of a better way to put something, he noticed Akaashi was staring at them with a soft smile. Tsukki took a bite out of the strawberry pastry they had brought him a little too aggressively, blushing. “You’re a great teacher, Tsukki,” Bokuto notes. "Kuroo always gets frustrated or bored, and Akaashi didn’t take geology.”

“It’s no big deal,” Tsukki muttered, looking to the side. “Does that help?”

“Mhm! Can I ask if I get more questions later?” Bokuto asks, not moving away after he had finished explaining. Tsukki nodded hesitantly, turning back to his reading. It’s quiet for a bit, the only noise is when someone turns a page. Akaashi closes his book after a bit, crawling into Bokuto’s lap and leaning his head against Bokuto’s shoulder. Tsukki doesn’t question it, he’s trying to understand a harder concept and doesn’t have time to pay attention to their PDA.

“He’s cute when he focuses,” Akaashi says as if Tsukki isn’t right next to him and can’t hear him. 

“I know, right? He sticks his tongue out!” Bokuto laughs, despite Tsukki’s sputtering protest, pressing a sloppy kiss to Akaashi’s forehead. “Are you gonna take a nap or just a quick break?” 

“I’d like to nap, but we should head back before that,” Akaashi murmurs. “Do you want to come, Tsukishima?” He asks. Tsukki doesn’t, he tells himself that. 

“It’s alright,” He clears his throat. “I still have work to do-”

“We’d love to have you,” Akaashi says gently. “You can do work at Bokuto’s desk while we nap. He never uses it.”

“Hey! I study there!” Bokuto pouts, and Akaashi giggles. Tsukki watches them curiously, considering his options. One, the room they were in was running out of their allotted time. Two, he could go to his own dorm (which was lonely or filled with Tadashi having sex with his boyfriend). Three, he could go with them and deal with the teasing later. Bokuto places Akaashi on the floor, giving him a hug. 

“...just to do work?” Tsukki asks carefully.

“If you want,” Akaashi nods, and his eyes are so inviting that Tsukki maybe gives in (if a pretty boy invited you over, you’d say yes too! It’s human nature). 

“Fine!” Tsukki sighs. “Ok, alright. Lead the way.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading, as per usual, if you enjoyed it, leave a comment and a kudos! I'd be grateful!
> 
> see you soon!
> 
> follow me on twitter for shenanigans and other stuff @normalfault1


	4. yes, lord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! after much deliberation, i decided I hated where the original idea of this was going and re-evaluated it, so it took me a hot second to get this out. sorry for such a long wait, and I'm sorry if you read this original chapter. it was not good work on my part, and I guess that's what you get when you go into something with so little planning. however, I'm much happier with this version! i hope you can enjoy 
> 
> tw: mentions of vomiting very briefly

Tsukki follows the both of them across campus, back to the fraternity house that he had been in only a few days ago. It’s still gross, he remembered vaguely trudging up this particular hallway when he was with Kuroo. The floors squish when he walks on them, and he grimaces at the smell of old beer emitting from the carpets. “I have begged them to clean this house,” Akaashi whispers to him as they walk up the staircase. 

“It adds  _ character, _ babe,” Bokuto insists, “Like...if you walked in and it wasn’t filled with years of dirt, you wouldn’t get it, ya know?” Akaashi hums in distaste, breathing a sigh of relief when he entered Bokuto’s single. 

“I cleaned this room,” Akaashi assures him. 

“I helped!” Bokuto pipes up. “It’s not that I like the mess. Remember? I rented out the carpet cleaner!” Bokuto collapses on his bed dramatically. “And I wash the sheets once a week. And my laundry is tucked away in the closet. And I wipe down the desk-”

“Yes, love,” Akaashi smiles down at him. “Koutarou is actually a very clean person, he just…likes this god awful house for some reason.” He aims that last part at Tsukishima, who hums in understanding. 

“Character, baby, I told you,” Bokuto pats the spot next to him. Akaashi rolls his eyes, sliding his shoes off and climbing next to Bokuto with a sigh. 

“I should go-” Kei starts to say. This is starting to feel much too intimate for him. 

“Nono! Stay! Please, Tsukki!” Bokuto insists, sitting up quickly. Akaashi whines when his head falls onto the bed instead of Bokuto’s chest. Bokuto’s room was quieter than his freshman dorm, and the library was always crowded. Kei thought about it, this was really the best he could do when it came to good studying spots. 

“Alright,” Kei muttered. Bokuto cheered at that, being hushed by Akaashi and giggling into the pillow. Yamaguchi was probably busy somewhere, Kei thought idly, and this way he wouldn’t be alone while working. He got a decent amount done, able to focus on his essay in the (surprising) quiet of Bokuto’s room. Kei typed away, not noticing anyone get up behind him and lean over his shoulder. 

“What’s this assignment for?” Akaashi asks him, voice groggy. “Your introduction to writing course?” Kei nods, jumping slightly at the sudden intrusion. “Hm…” Akaashi scans it over, no clear indication of if he approved written on his face. “You’re a good writer, but you’ll get points taken off if you don’t use a semicolon correctly.” Kei sputtered at that, scowling, about to snap back about how ‘he wasn’t the best writer but it didn’t matter and who was Akaashi to tell him anyways-’ “Here,” Akaashi says softly, taking over Kei’s laptop and typing away. “Look, you use it where you’d put a period. It separates two independent clauses.” Kei frowns, staring at the screen and noting that, yeah, he had no idea how semicolons worked. 

“Thanks,” Kei finally decided to say, ignoring the way Akaashi smirked at his frustration. Akaashi sits next to him at Bokuto’s desk, scrolling quietly through his phone. Kei expects him to try to talk, but Akaashi is silent. It’s nice, Kei admits to himself, in direct opposition to Yamaguchi who hates silence and always has to fill them. Kei continues to work, occasionally humming to himself until he takes his glasses off and rubs at his eyes from the strain. “What’s your major?” Kei asks, knowing Akaashi said it already but honestly forgetting the answer. It was a good time to take a break. 

“English,” Akaashi answers, looking up from his phone. “I focus on literature. I’ve never been good at science.” He leans back against his chair, stretching back. Kei watches his shirt ride up on his stomach and tries not to blush. Akaashi isn’t completely ripped like Bokuto or Kuroo is, and he’s not scrawny like Kei is. He looks so  _ soft _ . Kei coughs to hide his blush, looking up at the ceiling. “Why did you choose geology?” 

Kei considers for a second what a normal answer might be. He’s a pretty big nerd when it comes to a lot of things honestly. He was still trying to seem somewhat cool in front of his new...acquaintances? He wasn’t sure what to call them. “I think it’s cool,” Kei decides on, pressing his lips together. 

Akaashi rolls his eyes, moving to face him head-on. “Why?” He asks, leaning his hands on his knees. Akaashi gave him his own space, which he really appreciated. Kei was big on asking first, and he valued his bubble a lot more than other people. There were some friends (Yamaguchi, really) who could get away with intruding every once in a while. Bokuto was still napping away obliviously behind them, and Kei was suddenly hyper-aware of his long silence. 

“I…” He trails off. “...like dinosaurs? I really like dinosaurs?” He blushes, biting his lip at his honesty. Akaashi’s face isn’t judgemental at all. Kei blinks, “They’re really interesting, and we can tell a lot about the earth from looking at them...and rocks in general. It’s nice to know that we’re so small in the grand scheme of things because geologic history goes so far back…” Tsukishima trails off. He tried pretty hard not to be passionate about things, not outwardly at least. What if he was bad at them? What if there was someone else better? What if it was lame? Because he had always been quiet and cold, no one ever considered he might be thinking...like that. His chest clenches, he can’t breathe, he gets in his head thinking too much. 

“I like that,” Akaashi tells him, honestly. He’s very blunt, in a way Kei isn’t. Akaashi’s bluntness comes from a place of trying to express fully what he’s thinking. Kei’s bluntness mostly aims to cause the most damage - the best insults are honest ones. “We could go to the museum downtown if you’d like. I don’t know if it has much, but I would like it if you could explain the fossils to me.” Kei doesn’t really know what to say at that. He didn’t think Akaashi was making fun of him, the sentiment felt genuine. 

“I mean...I’m sure you could go without me there-” Kei stutters out, avoiding Akaashi’s eye contact for fear of saying more stupid stuff. 

“I know, but I’d like to have you with me,” Akaashi smiles - Kei’s heart does seven backflips and a wheelie. He’s gorgeous, like, seriously. His face is beautiful, his eyes are just the right shade of blue to compliment his skin which is unnaturally clear, his hair looks so soft and his  _ thighs _ . Kei wonders momentarily what those legs would feel like squeezed around his head (stop Kei, jeez, he’s right there). “Mm, Koutarou is waking up.” Kei blinks out of his stupor of staring like a dumb idiot and turns to stare at Bokuto, who sits up suddenly. 

“Kaashi?” He asks, voice groggy. 

“Yes, Bokuto?” Akaashi answers. 

“Is it morning?” Bokuto asks blearily, rubbing his eyes. 

“Oh yes, you’ve missed every class,” Akaashi smirks at Kei when Bokuto yelps, rolling out of bed and checking the clock. 

“Aw! Kaashi, not cool,” Bokuto whines, trudging over anyways and pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “Tsukki! You stayed!” 

“It was quiet,” Kei answers easily. “My dorm is really loud. I have to listen to people fucking every night as loud as they physically can manage. At one point, I went to the bathroom and saw someone throwing up in the sink.” Bokuto laughs, clapping him on the back and bending over the desk. 

“Freshman dorms suck like that,” He agrees solemnly. “You can come escape over here though! Or at Kuroo’s, I’m sure! His apartment is really nice but Kenma is always there with Shouyou so-” 

“Last night, they were in the showers,” Kei mutters, looking back down at his books. “I’m traumatized. I went to high school with him.” Bokuto laughed loudly at that, patting Kei’s head in condolence. 

“Kenma and Kuroo are like...childhood best friends right? One time, we were coming back from a night out and Kuroo saw them totally fucking on his couch,” Bokuto continues, playing with the fingers on Akaashi’s right hand. “We would’ve just snuck in normally but Kuroo got into a drinking competition with Ushijima and was completely wasted, so he just screamed and threw up on the ground and ran into his room.” Tsukki lets out a loud laugh, covering his mouth to keep the giggles inside. Bokuto’s eyes opened wide at that, and he turned a cute shade of pink. 

“It’s hard to imagine that, he definitely tries to come off as cool as a TA,” Kei says after he calms down, taking off his glasses to wipe the tears that gathered. “But everyone pretty much knows he’s a big nerd. Some of the girls think he’s hot, though.”

“He  _ is _ a big nerd, you’re right about that,” Akaashi agrees. “Do you think he’s hot?” 

“Well-I mean…” Kei trails off, trying not to remember when Kuroo came up behind him and the ‘microscope incident’ as Yamaguchi called it when he retold the story. “He’s not…particularly awful looking.”

“That’s practically a confession of love, coming from you!” Bokuto cheers, moving off of Akaashi to come closer. “What do you like best? Dude, you should totally stare at his thighs bro. I could write poetry about them!”

“Maybe you should write your business assignment, love,” Akaashi smiles at Bokuto’s dramatic groan, flopping back onto his bed with a huff. “After you finish maybe we can all grab dinner? I’m in the mood for sushi.” 

Bokuto perked up at that, looking at Kei with what could only really be described as puppy dog eyes. They looked utterly ridiculous on a huge and beefy grown man, they would not work. Kei was stronger than this. 

\---

“I only agreed to this because I am hungry and also want sushi,” Kei grumbles, trudging behind them with crossed arms. “Stop  _ smirking _ , Akaashi! I’m serious!” 

“Yes, yes, of course,” Akaashi assures him. “I also have a hard time saying no to Bokuto’s puppy eyes. It’s an acquired skill.” 

“It wasn’t because of that!” Kei hisses, speeding up. “Listen, even if I did maybe like any of you, which I don’t, I tolerate you at best.” Kei looks away to hide his face from prying eyes. “It’s not that impressive. You’ll get bored eventually.”  _ Just keep walking _ , Kei tells himself,  _ those abandonment issues are really something _ . He managed to get in front of them, but he stops suddenly when someone grabs his arm from behind. “Hey! I could’ve fallen, you know-”

“Do you really think that?” Bokuto’s grip is tight and his voice is...sad. Kei tries not to think about it, but Bokuto caught him off guard. His eyes bore into Kei’s for a second, it’s really quiet. He doesn’t know what expression he had on his face, and panics because that never happens. Kei had worked so hard to control every emotion that comes out - years of trying not to look passionate or happy or sad or anything to prevent the fear of failing and one question managed to throw him off.  _ This is getting too much, I have to leave.  _

“I just remembered, I have to go talk to a professor,” Kei explains, familiar coldness seeping back in. “Sorry for the inconvenience.” 

“Wait, Tsukki, I’m sorry!” Bokuto says quickly. “Please come to dinner! I’ll buy your sushi! And a soda! Please! Please, please, please, please-!” 

“Ok! Ok, fine,” Kei looks up at the sky, blushing at the insistence. 

“Can I hold your hand? It’s ok to say no! I just...you seemed so sad! I want to help!” Bokuto asks, grip loosening on his upper arm. “We really like you! I like you especially! And we’re not gonna get bored because you’re super cool and smart! And your laugh is really cute.” Bokuto intertwined their fingers loosely, and Akaashi shot him a fond smile. “Kuroo is gonna meet up with us too!” Kei hums in acknowledgment; secretly he had butterflies from a simple  _ hand hold _ like he was some kind of  _ freak _ . 

“He’s going to be jealous of all the attention you’ve given us,” Akaashi says with a smile. He holds onto Bokuto’s other hand tightly, and Kei feels silly but at the same time it makes him excited? Happy? He’s not quite sure. 

Intimacy wasn’t something he was used to. He had very few encounters of people who wanted more with him than a quick hookup in a bathroom or a makeout session somewhere secret. He also wasn’t super touchy, not at first at least. His family wasn’t big on it, so he grew up thinking physical contact wasn’t that big of a deal. Meeting Yamaguchi had shown him how wrong he was. Tadashi was always touching him, hugs, thighs touching on the bus, sharing space on the couch. Kei didn’t mind it at first, but that had grown into needing it and not knowing how to ask for it. Normally, something like Bokuto trying to get him to talk about his feelings would have sent him running home until Yamaguchi forced him to confront his emotions, but with the promise of holding hands and the way he actually  _ liked _ Bokuto and Akaashi. He didn’t stand a chance. 

They arrive at the restaurant after conversations about something dumb, Akaashi asking Bokuto about his homework and Bokuto dodging it so he didn’t have to admit he hadn’t done it yet - it made Kei smirk to himself, trying not to laugh. They sit down at a booth, Bokuto pressing in next to Kei and making sure their legs touched. Kuroo arrives after a few minutes, giving Kei enough time to decide what he was ordering before the onslaught of questions that were inevitable. “What the hell! You had Tsukki  _ all day _ ?” Kuroo whines, kissing Akaashi on the temple and grabbing a menu with a dramatic pout. “I’ve been in class forever, but I’m glad it’s almost the weekend. Fridays are the worst.” 

“Whatever, bro,” Bokuto grins at him, slinging an arm around Kei who stiffens and turns red. “You’re jealous?” Kei is about to say that they were being ridiculous, and this competition should stop before it starts, but Kuroo grins at the challenge. 

“I’m super jealous,” Kuroo says, eyes scanning Kei like  _ he _ was an item on the menu. “But don’t worry baby, I’ll get the time back.” Kei chokes on his sip of water, and Akaashi laughs into his miso soup. 

\---

The dinner ends, and Kuroo insists that  _ he _ be the one to hold Kei’s hand on the way back to his dorm. “That’s ridiculous, my hands aren’t any different than either of yours,” he counters weakly. 

“I dunno, Tsukki, I could get lost if you don’t help me,” Kuroo insists. He grins, teeth pulling at his lips and swings their arms back and forth. “Is your roommate home? He scares me.” 

“Yamaguchi is either home or with his boyfriend,” Kei answers, not thinking much of the conversation. “Mm, we should probably knock first, that’s not something I would want to see. You’d know, right Kuroo?”

“You  _ told _ him about that!” Kuroo shrieks, turning to look at Bokuto and Akaashi with betrayed eyes. “That was...dude, that was so embarrassing. Oh god. I’m pretty sure they didn’t even stop after I threw up. Like, ew? Isn’t that so gross? Tsukki, do you hate me now? I’m still hot, right?” 

“You’re still hot,” Kei agrees, stopping suddenly when Kuroo’s walking halts. “What?” 

“Did you just...call me hot?” Kuroo’s mouth is hanging open. “Oh my god. I could die right now. This is the best day of my life.” 

“Shut up!” Kei hisses, taking his hand away and storming towards his room. “It’s objective!”

“Wait! Tsukki, stop! That’s amazing! Oh my god, you’re hot too!” Kuroo chases after him, causing Kei’s neighbors to turn and stare. 

“Stop yelling!” Kei snaps, knocking on his door. When no one answers, he gets out his key and leaves the door open (for no reason, he didn’t want them to come in, obviously). They do walk in, Akaashi and Bokuto laughing at Kuroo who is turning as red as his t-shirt. 

“I think I should be the first one allowed to kiss Tsukki, when he’s ready,” Bokuto argues out of nowhere, crossing his arms. “I mean, you get to see him in class! That’s already no fair.”

“And you both got a full day of him!” Kuroo pokes at Kei’s side, “C’mon. Who’re you gonna choose?” 

“I’m not going to choose anyone, but if I had to, it’d obviously be Akaashi,” Kei teases, and he grins at their expressions. “I already technically made out with you Kuroo. Remember?” 

“Drunk make-outs don’t count,” He pleads. 

“Stop pressuring him,” Akaashi scolds. “He hasn’t even agreed to be anything with us yet. You’re being rude.” Kuroo and Bokuto physically deflate at that, and Kei almost feels bad. Almost. 

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t,” Kei mutters, without really thinking. When he looks up, all three of them are staring at him with varying expressions of shock and joy. “Wait-”

“He said maybe!” Bokuto cheers, clinging onto Akaashi excitedly. “This is so exciting! I wanna plan our next date right now.”

“Today was a  _ date _ ?!” Kei sputtered. “You didn’t tell me!”

“You have a crush on us!” Kuroo continues, leaning into Kei’s space and forcing him to avert his eyes. He was already blushing before (it seemed he always was) and now he was practically crimson. “It’s ok, we have a crush on you too.”

“You’re so embarrassing,” Tsukki hissed. He thought about what he would say for a second, mustering up the courage to ask for what he wanted. It was way too hard, but he was just...he did like them! A lot! He hadn’t even considered dating more than one person before and now he wasn’t sure how he could survive without them. Relationships require sacrifice, and they had done so much of the reaching beforehand. “I guess...I wouldn’t mind. Trying whatever this is.” 

Before he can come up with a defense to whatever they say next, Bokuto already has picked him up and is spinning him around. “Tsukki! This is the best day ever!” He sniffles, oh god, is he crying. “We’re gonna spoil you so much! And you’ll be so happy! And-” 

“Alright, Koutarou, that’s enough,” Akaashi scolds, but his eyes are warm. “Let’s leave Tsukishima alone so that his roommate doesn’t permanently damage Kuroo’s chances of having kids.” Bokuto puts him down sullenly, patting his head and bounding out of the room. Kuroo leaves after him, winking and shooting finger guns (lame, but ridiculously cute). Akaashi smiles at him and presses a soft kiss to his cheek. “We’ll see you soon.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, i hope you enjoyed the update. if you did, leave a comment and a kudos. i love hearing what you think! 
> 
> you can reach me on twitter @normalfault1

**Author's Note:**

> hi y'all! hope you enjoyed, i love comments and kudos. 
> 
> if you enjoyed this, please stay tune for more chapters and check out my other BAKT works in the series more's not a crowd. i also have a fairly inactive but existent twitter @normalfault1 if you're interested! 
> 
> see you soon :)


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